Bottle-capping machine



C. L. JOHNSON Filed Aug. 16, 1923 BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE WVF idu tllll irll Feb. 19, 1929.

Patented Feb. 19, 1929.

UNITED STATES COLVIN L. JOHNSON,

ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE'HALF T0 MAX LIPID- MANN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BOTTLE-CAPIING MACHINE.

Application fled August 16, 1923. Serial No. 657,709.

' bottles or caps threading or twisting such caps in closing position upon the bottles.

Another object of my present invention is the provision of a machine of the kind and for the purpose stated which is of simple, compact form and construction, which may be manufactured and produced at relatively low cost, which is easily portable, and which may be conveniently manipulated with little labor and expense.

With the above and other objects in view, my present invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter (lescribedand afterwards pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing;-

Figure 1 is a side'elevational view of a bottle-capping machine constructed in ac-' cordance with and embodying my invention; Figure 2 is a iragmental rear elevational view oi. the machine; and

Figure 3 is a tragmental perspective view of a bottle and its closure-cap, with which my 5 a new machine is especially adapted for use.

Referring now more in detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, 1 indicates a base-plate adapted to rest upon a floor or other place of support, and rigidly upstanding lirom base-plate 1, is a suitably elongated cylindrical post 2.

Loosely at its legs 3, 3, embracing post 2, for slidable reciprocation, is a yoke 4, carried by which is a motor-casing 5 enclosing a suitable preferably shown), whose armature or rotary shaft 6 is preferably vertically disposed to extend in parallel relation to and forwardly of post2.

Bolted or otherwlse rigidly secured upon electric motor (not post 2 intermediate the le s 3+3 of yoke 4, as seen in Figure 1, is so stantially a split collar 7 formed or provided with a pair of horizontally spaced rearwardly-presented lugs 8, 8, suitably ertured to receive the legs ,9, 9, of a vertical y-disposed okelO having its bight presented upward y, the yoke 10 being secured adjustably relatively to motor-carrying yoke 4 by means of suitable set-screws or the like 11 threadseated in the lugs 8, 8, for binding engagement with the yoke-legs 9, 9. Projecting rearwarclly from lower yoke-leg 3, as best seen 'inFigure 1, 1s a lug-eye 12, and having its one orlower end attached or upper end to the bight of yoke 10, 1s a coiled spring 13 for ieldingly supporting yoke 4 and its carrietl meinbers in elevated or so-called normal position on post Pivotecl at an end upon a pair of supporting-ears 14 rising from base-plate 1, is a bar 15, having pivoted engagement with which, as at 16, and with base-plate 1, as at 17,as clearly seen in Figure 1, is a tread-le-member 18. Attached at one end, as at 19, to bar 15, and at its other end to a pin projecting laterally from preferably the upper leg 3 of shaft-carrying yoke 4, a rod21, whereby, on depression of foot-treadle 18,,the yokel and its carried men'ibers will be pulled or shifted downwardly aainst the tension of elevating-spring 13. firojecting forwardly from motor-casing 5, is a hand-grip 22, whereby selectively the yoke 4 and its carried parts may be manually likewise depressed or lowered against the pull of spring 13. V

Disposed upon post 2 intermediate baseplate 1 and the yoke 4, is a suitable bracket or the like 23 provided at its free projecting end with a supporting trough or way 24 for the bottles or other containers 25 to be capped or closed, trough 24 being directly beneath the shaft 6, so that the bottle 25 to capped is substantially in vertical alignment there- 'ith, the bracket 23ancl its carried bottletrough 24 being secured uponpost2 in adjusted location relatively .to motor-shaft 6 y and its axial or len thwise extent of travel,

as by means of a suitable locking-bar 26.

to lug-eye 12 and its opposite V no i along the post 2 and the axial throw Suitably disposed upon the projecting end of armature or rotary shaft 6, is a socketmember 27 adapted to remova-bly or detachably, as by means of a set-screw 28, receive the stem 29 of an inverted cup-shaped-meinber 30, the cavity 31 of cup 30 being of such configuration as to conform with the outer configuration of the bottle-closure or cap 32.

In use or operation, shaft 6 rotating and a bottle being fed in trough 24 to extend substantially in vertical alignment with cup 30, and yoke 4: and its carried parts, includ ing cup 30, being depressed or lowered either by means of handle 22 or treadle 18 against the pull of spring 13, cup will be axially shifted onto and lrictionally engage with the cap 32 and bodily under such engagement twist the same to engage with the threads or lugs of bottle 25, The frictional engagement between cup 30 and cap 32 is such, however, that, as soon as the cap 32 is firmly engaged with the bottle 25, the engagement between bottle 25 and cap 32 will overcome the frictional engagement between the cup 30 and cap 32, whereupon the cup 30 will rotate without effect upon cap 32 or breakage of the bottle 25, until pull upon the yoke l is released, when the yoke l and its carried parts, including cup 30, will yieldingly move up wardly to normal elevated position under the restoring pull of spring 13, such operations being continued as bottles like the bottle 25 are successively fed to capping position along trough 24.

The cup 30 being yieldingly supported, as described, by or through the spring 13, breakage of bottles under normal usage of the machine is obviated, the tension or pull of spring 13 upon the yoke 4 being regulated increased or decreased-by adjustment of yoke 10. It will be evident, however, that a careless workman might so violently depress or lower the cup 30 as to break the bottle 25 being capped. To obviate any such abnormal breakage, a threaded rod 33 is secured to depend from collar 7 through a suitably apertured lug projecting laterally from the lower leg 3 of yoke 1, as best seen in Figure 2. Disposed adjustably on rod 33 on opposite sides of lug 34-, is a pair of stop-members or abutments 35, 35, suitably adjustably spaced as to limit both the normal or elevated and the abnormal or lowered positions of yoke 4 and its carried cap-engaging cup 30 relatively to the bottle 25 being capped.

My new machine is simple and compact in construction, may be readily manufactured at relatively low cost, and has been found exceedingly rapid and efficient in the performance of its intended functions.

The bracket 23 and its carried bottle-supporting trough 24 being adjustable vertically or extent of lengthwise movement of shaft 6 being capable of easy regulation by means of the stop-members 35, and the cup-engaging member 28 of shaft 6 bein adapted to interchangeably support cap-engaging cups 30 of varying diameter and dimensions of cavity, it will be evident that the machine with little labor may quickly be adjusted within relatively wide limits to accommodate bottles and screw-closures of varying sizes.

ll am aware that changes in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of my new machine may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. in a bottle-capping machine, in combination, rigid post, a first yoke having its bight disposed in parallelism with the post, the legs of the yoke being apertured and embruc'.1g the post for slidable reciprocation, a shaft carried for rotation by the yoke and axially shittable with the yoke relatively to the post, a closure-engaging cup carried for reciprocation relatively to the post by, and rotatable with, the shaft, a collar secured upon the post intermediate the legs of the yoke, lugs projecting from said collar, a second yoke having its legs engaged by said lugs and having its bight presented upwardly, a spring having engagement with the lower leg of the first yoke and the bight of the second yoke t'or yieldably retaining the first yoke, shaft, and cup in elevated position, and means for shit'tably lowering the first yoke, shaft, and cup as a unitagainst the pull of the spring, the cup being adapted, on such downward movement or' the first yoke and shaft, for engagement with the closure for frictionally twisting the same bodily upon the bottle.

in a bottle-capping machine, in combination, a rigid post, a first yoke having its biglit disposed in parallelisn'i with the poi-it, the legs oi? the yoke being apertured and embracing the post for slidable reciprocation, a. it carried for rotation by the yoke and illy shil table with the yoke relatively to the post, a closure-engaging cup carried for reciprocation relatively to the post by, and rotatable with, the shaft, a collar secured upon the post intermediate the legs of said yoke, lugs projecting from said collar, a second yoke having its legs engaged by said lugs and having its bight presented upwardly, a spring having engagement with the lower leg of the first yoke and the bight of the second yoke for yieldably retaining the first yoke, shaft, and cup in elevated position, means for shiltably lowering the first yoke, shaft, and cup as aunit against the pull of the spring, the cup being adapted, on such downward movement of the first yoke and a rod depending from said collar and exshaft, for engagement with the closure for tending through said third lug, and stopfriotionaily twisting the some bodily upon members disposed on said rod upon opposite 10 the bottle, and means for regulating the exsides of the third lug.

5 tent of reciprocation of the first yoke, said In testimony whereof, I have signed my last-named means including a third lug proname to this specification. jecting from the lower leg of the first yoke, COLVIN L. JOHNSON. 

